Utility companies (“Utilities”) have been providing resources, such as natural gas and water directly to customers for years. Gas and/or water lines provide a convenient supply of the respective resource directly to customers' homes, businesses, and other premises. The customer's consumption of the resource is measured using a meter. The meter is typically disposed at a point where the respective gas or water line enters the customer's premises. In rare instances, gas and water lines have been known to leak. In those instances, the leaking resource may cause an event, such as an explosion or fire (in the case of natural gas), or flooding or water damage (in the case of water). Such events may damage the customer's premises and surrounding property. When such events occur, the customer is typically liable for any leaks on the customer's side of the meter, while the utility is typically liable for leaks occurring on the utility's side of the meter. If the leak was caused by malicious action on the customer's side of the meter, criminal charges may also apply.
In the past, there was often no reliable way of determining on which side of the meter a leak occurred. Often the event itself (especially in the case of an explosion or fire) damaged the resource line and/or the meter, making it even more difficult to determine when, where, and why the leak occurred. Also, resource consumption data was not available in a form conducive to determining when or where the leak occurred.